Coffee is good for you and the health benefits of organic coffee come primarily from the antioxidants. But green tea also has antioxidants. How does coffee versus green tea stack up regarding antioxidants and health benefits?

Comparing Green Tea and Coffee

Medical Daily writes about the health benefits of coffee vs. tea.

Both coffee and tea have their benefits, though it’s always hard to pinpoint exactly what those are due to the large amount of contradictory studies. Researchers have focused on specific potential benefits of coffee, with some studies finding that coffee might have the ability to reduce the incidence of dementia or Alzheimer’s or even type 2 diabetes, for example. Coffee has a higher caffeine content than tea, meaning its levels of the stimulant might help people with asthma by relaxing the lung’s airways. Caffeine also helps in constricting blood vessels in the brain and reducing migraines, and often alleviates hangovers because of this. So if you’ve got a bad headache, taking some Advil with coffee and food (and water) might help you out.

Tea, on the other hand, is filled with antioxidants and potential cancer-fighting properties. According to the National Cancer Institute at the NIH, tea contains polyphenol compounds, which are antioxidants that might aid in cancer prevention. Though not enough has been studied to conclude whether tea does in fact reduce the risk of cancer, tea has often been considered a therapeutic or medicinal drink that has both soothing and rejuvenating qualities. All types of tea are made from the leaves of the plant Camellia sinensis, which wilt and oxidize after harvesting; oxidation results in the breaking down of chemicals. The amount of oxidation that occurs in the leaves is what defines different types of teas, from black tea to white tea, and of course green tea. Polyphenols in particular are a group of plant chemicals that are believed to be involved in health benefits – especially in green tea. Teas with the highest levels of polyphenols are usually brewed hot teas rather than cold (and sugary) bottled teas. Polyphenols in green tea, and theaflavins and thearubigins in black tea, contain free radicals that might protect cells from DNA damage.

It turns out that both coffee and green tea are rich in the sort of antioxidants that prevent disease. The article is three years old so several of the newly discovered health benefits are drinking coffee are not included. Although they mention that caffeine in coffee helps asthma (by stimulating adrenaline secretion) the theobromine in tea also helps dilate airways and thus help relieve asthma.

Better Drink Organic

Whether you choose tea or coffee as your beverage of choice we suggest that you go organic. Certified organic coffee is free of the more than 100 impurities that can show up in a regular cup of coffee. Drink organic and avoid residues of synthetic fertilizers, herbicides, pesticides, fungicides and more in your favorite drink. And when you drink only organic you are supporting sustainable agriculture which protects the land on which the coffee is grown and the water table beneath it. When you drink shade grown organic coffee you also protect habitat for wildlife.